


Northern Lights

by neitherbluenorgreen



Category: Wallander (UK TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-11
Updated: 2015-08-28
Packaged: 2018-04-08 19:38:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4317270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neitherbluenorgreen/pseuds/neitherbluenorgreen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lina agrees to help get her ex-boss behind bars - if only her "partner" wasn't so grumpy</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Lina and Magnus Anderson,” Martinsson introduced them to the man behind the counter.

“We’re here for our honeymoon!” Lina chirped in, grinning stupidly. She was holding herself back from kicking Martinsson’s shin – he didn’t look like a honeymooner, but just like what he was: a grumpy policeman who didn’t want to be undercover.

Martinsson stoically filled out the papers he was given and followed the porter that had been beckoned by the receptionist. Lina was slow to catch up: she was far too busy taking in the big, luxurious hotel lobby. It was one of the best and most expensive hotels in Sweden, an address she’d usually wouldn’t be able to visit. It was almost like a dream come true – if not for her partner, Magnus Martinsson, tight-lipped, easily annoyed and constantly rolling his eyes at her.

 

It had started when she had discovered certain discrepancies in her employer’s books. While she had known from the start that Arne was a criminal, she soon found out that he dabbled in stuff she wanted no part in. Just quitting had been too dangerous, she already knew too much. Her only chance of getting away alive had been either vanishing or going to the police. Since she had no money to her name, going to the police it was. At first she was just shut away in a safe house, being questioned by the organized crime unit. Martinsson had just joined the unit after transferring from Ystad and sat in on a lot of those sessions. He was scowling at her most of the time, silent except for barking questions at her that sounded as if he wanted to prosecute her. It was confusing, the first impression he gave what that of a nice fellow, tall, blond hair, handsome, but that perpetual scowl tainted that image. She was able to give them quite a bit, from doctored books to some of his usual places, but of course nobody clued her in on what was happening. She was to stay in the safe-house, with her mental state somewhere between afraid for her life and bored out of her wits.

After a while it became clear that Arne thought she had left the country with a man, a lie spread by a police informant. It looked as if she was safe, especially when he got busted trying to smuggle guns. She was just about to leave when somebody from Stockholm stumbled over her and her trouble began in earnest.

It turned out that her ex-boss had been dabbling in more than just organized crime and letting people vanish – he was also dealing in human trafficking. Lina’s stomach had turned when she realized what she had been a part of and she offered to help in every way she could. A big mistake. Before long her handler told her that they could indeed need her help. She had been at work when her ex-boss met up with a man called Gustavson – who might just be the big boss. Rumours said that he’d be meeting with associates at a luxurious hotel. All she needed was to be there, too and identify him. After much debate she was paired up with Magnus Martinsson, of all people.

He had been grumpy from the get go, talking only when it was absolutely necessary and ignoring her the rest of the time. Their cover would be a couple on their honeymoon and Lina was sure that everything would go wrong. If nobody recognised her, she’d probably end up murdering Martinsson and end in jail anyhow.

 

Their suite wasn’t quite the hotel’s best, but still a lot nicer than what she had expected. The fact alone that it was a suite, not only a small room surprised her. The view wasn’t spectacular, but it showed the terrace and park in front of the hotel, giving her a chance to observe unobserved.

The porter had departed already when Martinsson grunted in frustration.

“I was hoping the couch was bigger,” he murmured and Lina saw him standing in the doorway between living room and bedroom, looking back and forth between the bed and the couch.

“What’s wrong with the bed?” she asked, looking at the kingsize bed.

“I didn’t think we’d…,” he started and trailed off. 

“I actually don’t see a problem with sleeping in the same bed. But I can take the couch. We just have to take care that nobody sees it. Maids gossip.”

He clearly understood the implication: after all she was just a civilian and he should have thought of their cover.

“There’s no need for you to sleep on the couch. We’ll… make do,” he replied, ending the discussion by leaving the room.

For a moment she just stood there and stared after him. What was it with him?

She sighed and started unpacking her stuff, a lot more than what he had. She even packed a nice bathing suit, but the idea of having fun suddenly seemed delusional.

At least she had books packed and there was cable TV in their suit. He had taken only a spare jeans, a few t-shirts and one suit, making her wonder if he planned to spent all the time inside this room. It would make it easier, not having to act like a couple in public, but then she’d be in here with him the whole time.

Lina was already starting to feel bored and wondered if ordering room service was part of this gig. She was looking through the menu, when Martinsson announced that they’d go to dinner in the hotel’s restaurant.

“Tonight?” she asked surprised.

“Tonight. We’re showing our faces, cement the legend that we’re a happy couple and you can take a look around if you recognize anybody.”

Lina gulped, the joy at getting out of there overshadowed by the prospect of seeing men even worse than her ex-boss. Everybody had assured her that she looked very different now that she was back to her natural hair colour, but she was still nervous.

“The restaurant was on the other end of the hotel’s large grounds,” Martinsson informed her. “On our way we’ll be able to get to know the hotel a bit better.”

Lina nodded and picked out clothes to wear.

“You will do exactly as I say, whenever I say it,” he continued and she looked up in surprise, figuring she’d heard wrong.

“Pardon me?”

“You’re a civilian and I’m responsible for you. If there’s a situation you need to do as I say,” he explained in a slightly annoyed tone of voice. Was he still smarting because of the couch-discussion?

“If I had known you’d be like that before our marriage..” she murmured and he frowned at her. With a shrug she took her clothes and went to the bathroom to change.

In a way he was right, but his demeanour was grating on her. She practically could feel his disdain and whenever she caught him looking at her, there was suspicion in his eyes, his brows drawn together and the mouth an even thinner line than usual. She was used to him being cold towards here, but in public that had to change. Right now he was probably trying to get over his dislike and steeling himself for the chore of touching her.

Looking at the mirror she decided she looked nice enough – not fancy enough to really attract attention, but good enough to not seem out of place. She put on some make-up and winked at herself. She’d try to have a good time, despite her partner.

Back in the living room she found Martinsson already ready. He wore his suit and looked surprisingly dapper. His curly hair somewhat ruined the effect, but it was kind of charming. She mentally kicked herself. He wasn’t charming.

When he saw that she was ready, he strode to the door.

“Come on,” he ordered and left the suit. With a huff she followed, hurrying to catch up with his long legs.

He was already at the elevator when she finally reached him. They entered together and he pressed the button to go down. Since they were on their own, there was no need to act like a couple, but as soon as they’d enter the lobby it was show time. Stealing a glance at him, she saw that his eyes were closed, he seemed in deep thought. Just before they reached the ground floor he opened his eyes and schooled his face into a smile. It almost seemed genuine.

The door opened and Lina reached for his hand. He looked at her in surprise and then nodded grimly. With some effort she managed to put a smile on her lips. This was a recipe for disaster.

To her surprise Martinsson didn’t hurry along, but adopted a leisurely pace. They strolled through the lobby and Lina tried not to think about how his large, warm hand felt in hers.

The hotel was busy and nobody seemed to pay special attention to them. Exiting the lobby they walked through the small park that was illuminated with fairy lights.

“Did you already recognize somebody?” Martinsson asked quietly and Lina had to keep from groaning. She felt pushed and patronized.

“So far not,” she murmured back, looking around, caught herself and then relaxed, deciding that not looking would actually be more suspicious.

 

At the restaurant the maitre’d showed them to a table in a niche as a thoughtful gesture. It was very romantic, but also very secluded, giving them little chance to observe. At least it also kept the other patrons from witnessing their awkward conversation.

They had a hard time coming up with a topic to talk about, so both were glad when the first course arrived. Now they could at least talk about the food, which was very good indeed. Lina hoped that people would just think they were staring lovingly at each other in the frequent pauses during their conversation.

Because of their seating Lina couldn’t really look for familiar faces. Then a man passed their table, heading for the bar. She thought that he might have been one of the thugs she had once seen delivering something, but she wasn’t sure.

“Would you excuse me?” she asked Martinsson and rose. “I’ll just freshen up a bit.”

He rose an eyebrow and looked around to see what she was looking at so intently. He noticed the man, a brutish type in his 30s, clad in a suit that just fit him. He looked quite out of place. Martinsson nodded at her, understanding what she was up to.

“Be careful,” he said, adding a “darling” after a bit of a pause. Her nervousness about facing the possible criminal was greater than her irritation about his blunder. But what husband told his wife to be careful while going to the toilet?

She walked past the guy she had spotted on her way to the bathrooms. He was standing at the bar, nursing a beer and keeping the entry covered. She was fairly sure that she knew his face, but didn’t want to stare too openly. In passing she saw that he had a large, ugly tattoo of a puma on his neck. She entered the women’s rest-room and washed her hands and checked her make-up. She did look different than a few months ago. Then she’d had long hair, dyed fire engine red and her make-up had been black and heavy. With her short hair and natural hair-colour she looked far more young. Innocent. Probably her past was the big problem Martinsson had with her. She’d been accomplice to quite a few crimes, even though she always told herself that it wasn’t really that bad at the time. She was lucky she was given this second chance, hopefully getting this over with soon and then starting new, somewhere else.

Walking back to their table she was able to see a bit more of the restaurant. There was a cluster of men in suits, but she couldn’t look at them without stopping and starring. She kept her gaze ahead and wondered for the millionth time if she was being suspicious. Even if they didn’t recognize her, maybe they’d take her for a rookie undercover cop?

Martinsson was awaiting her with curiosity.

“I’m fairly sure I know that guy,” she told him, nodding slightly into the direction of the puma-guy. “There are a few men looking very business-like in the back of the restaurant, but I couldn’t really see them.”

“So far so good. It looks like they really are here,” he commented and fell silent as the waiter came back.

By the time the main course was served, Lina felt a bit calmer. This was just observation. She wouldn’t have to do anything but tell Martinsson when she saw Gustavson. Everything else would be handled by real cops, her involvement invisible.

Martinsson seemed lost in his own thoughts and she was glad when finally dessert arrived. With a sigh she finished her chocolate parfait and wondered how much more pleasant this could have been with a nicer guy.

 

They rose and left the restaurant hand in hand again. Probably they’d be able to get back to the suite and sleep, with having tomorrow for reconnaissance. After them a group of men left the restaurant and Lina felt Martinsson’s hand tighten on hers. She squeezed back, hoping he would understand that she had understood him.

They brought some distance between themselves and the men, who were discussing something in hushed tones.

Under a tree, Lina stopped and turned, so she was facing the group and Martinsson stood between them. She smiled at him and he nodded. She let her gaze wander over the faces and saw Gustavson.

Suddenly she froze. Martinsson looked at her in alarm.

“It’s Gustavson,” she whispered. The grey haired man looked straight at her and she was sure he knew who she was, why she was here.

“Don’t stare,” Martinsson hissed, but she was frozen, like the proverbial rabbit facing the snake.

“Lina,” he growled and took her by the arms. He moved to bring his face between her and Gustavson.

“He saw me, he knows who I am,” Lina hissed, feeling panic rise. “He looked me dead in the eye. I’m dead. Oh my God,” she babbled.

The next thing she knew was that Martinsson had wrapped his arms around her. Confused she pushed against his chest, but he didn’t move. His hand cupped her face and he pressed his lips to hers. In surprise she gasped, opening her mouth and he drew her closer, his hand cradling her head, one arm around her waist. Her eyes fluttered close and she felt his tongue slip over her lips. His touch was gentle and she leaned into him, forgetting who he was and where they were. His taste was intoxicating and she could feel the warmth of his body pressing against hers.

When they broke apart, it was as if she was waking up from a dream. She looked at him in confusion.

“That was…,” she started to say and he interrupted her.

“That was necessary. You were beginning to panic.”

He looked to where the men were entering the hotel in the distance. Lina swallowed hard and pressed her eyes shut. This was their cover, nothing more. She turned and looked for Gustavson, but he was shielded from their view.

“He was there,” she mumbled and Martinsson nodded, his face earnest, but showing no signs of anger at her.

“We’ll have another chance for you to point him out. At least we know now that he is indeed here.”


	2. Chapter 2

Back at their suite, Lina went straight to the mini-bar and downed a bottle of vodka. Martinsson raised his eyebrow, but didn’t say anything.

Flopping down on the couch, she looked at the ceiling and sighed deeply. The cold liquid ran through her, leaving a trail of heat. She closed her eyes and rubbed her face.

“If I hadn’t panicked, we could be done here,” she complained, concentrating on Gustavson, not thinking about the kiss.

Martinsson snorted. For a moment, Lina felt anger rise inside her, but then he continued:

“It’s normal to panic in such a situation. And at least you were able to recognize him. Tomorrow we’ll take some pictures of the hotel, like the good tourists we are, maybe we’ll catch him.”

She opened her eyes slowly and looked at him, but he was already busy with sorting through the papers on the desk that was placed against the wall. Maybe it was the assignment and not her that he found so horrible? She watched him, his long fingers gracefully dancing through the pages, his face concentrated. He frowned and clenched his jaw, then relaxed again and sorted a few pages onto a new stack.

Maybe she could just talk to him and try to understand him better? He had now turned his back to her and she admired his broad shoulders. He was full of contradictions, tall and lanky yet strong and muscular, his sunny looks and grim face, the gentle touch and harsh words.

To be honest she didn’t have the courage to talk to him. The fear of his scowl reappearing was too great. She didn’t want to remind him of her past. The fragile peace between them was better than risking him being more distant again. She got up and considered for a moment taking another bottle form the mini-bar, but then decided to just go to bed.

Martinsson was now sitting at the desk in the sitting room and didn’t look up when she went into the bathroom or when she came back and wished him a good-night.

Going into the bedroom, she wished for a moment she had insisted on one of them taking the couch. Her lips tingled when she thought of the moment he had kissed her. The kiss hadn’t even been that deep or erotic, but the intensity of his touch was still burning on her skin. He had been keeping his distance since then and she wondered if he regretted it. She snorted. “That was necessary,” she murmured, remembering his solemn face when he said that. Shaking her head she opened the wardrobe, getting her nightgown - an oversized shirt nearly coming down to her knees. She looked at it with a lopsided smile, remembering how she had packed the least sexy piece of nightwear she had and slipped it on.

She decided to take the left side of the bed, slipped under the covers, turned off the lights and closed her eyes.

Sleep wouldn’t come for quite some time. Whenever she didn’t think about Martinsson, she saw Gustavson’s face again, staring at her. The chill that went through her, shook her awake and it took her a while to calm down.

It didn’t help when Martinsson came to bed later, trying to be silent, padding through the dark. He lay down and fell asleep quickly. The size of the bed and the fact that they had two blankets kept them apart comfortably. It only made Lina feel more alone and colder. She listened to his deep, steady breathing and a part of her wanted to cuddle up to him, feeling his warmth and the safety of his strong arms. She had to stop obsessing over him and reading too much into their exchanges. Between Martinsson and Gustavson she felt like going crazy. She calmed her breath, thinking of a calm pond, trying to clear her head. It took a while, but finally she drifted off.

 

The next morning Martinsson got up early and let her sleep. It was almost 11 until she managed to keep her eyes open. She didn’t move until her bladder left her no other choice.

Breakfast had been ordered and by the looks of it had been standing there for some time. She shrugged and helped herself to croissants and cold eggs. At least the coffee was still hot. Martinsson was back at the desk, writing something. She wondered what he was writing about, it was not as if much had happened so far.

He had acknowledge her with a nod when she greeted him, but seemed absorbed in his work.

She decided to read a bit and got one of the books she had packed. It was a thriller and it only took ten pages for her to come to the conclusion that this was not what she needed right now. It only reminded her too much of her past and the men that were somewhere in the same hotel, scheming and planning, spending money with blood on it.

To her relief Martinsson told her to get ready, as it was time to take some pictures. Even his gruff voice didn’t irk her, she was desperate to do something that would help her get out of there.

As the evening before they strolled hand in hand through the hotel. First they took a few shots in the lobby. Lina even got another guest to take a picture of them both together. To her surprise the man gushed about how lovely they looked and how Martinsson was a lucky man. What positively shocked her was when Martinsson squeezed her tightly and said: “I know I am.”

She had to remind herself that this was undercover work and her partner was just playing a role, though he had sounded so genuine, it had made her feel warm and fuzzy inside.

They worked their way through the building, which was a sight in itself – over three hundred years old and decorated abundantly.

It was afternoon when they decided to continue outside, so far she hadn’t been able to spot Gustavson, only some vaguely familiar men. They managed to take photos of those by having Lina pose in front of them, hopefully without anybody noticing.

 

The weather was mild and quite lovely. There were more guests outside, enjoying the sun in the small park. After a round they agreed that circling the park twice would seem strange. To not seem too suspicious they continued their walk past the park.

They left the peninsula the hotel was build on and continued down the trekking path to the nearby village. It was small and picturesque, obviously surviving on tourists. Small houses were painted in bright colours and cobbled streets were lined with flower beds. Lina allowed herself a bit of window-shopping and Martinsson took more photos of her. He seemed far more relaxed than she would have expected.

After an hour they had seen nearly all of the village and since neither of them wanted to write cards or go shopping, they turned around to walk back to the hotel. A companionable silence had settled between them and Lina felt far better than she had the night before.

 

When they arrived back at the hotel, Martinsson led the way through the park again. Just as the terrace was in sight, he suddenly stopped and took her hands, drawing her closer. Without thinking she wrapped her arms around his waist and he pulled her into a hug. She could smell his musky smell and feel the warmth of him. Her heart beat faster and when she felt his breath against her cheek she closed her eyes.

“I think they are on the terrace,” he murmured into her ear and for a split second she didn’t understand, until she remembered Gustavson. She nodded slowly and he nuzzled her ear. A moment later she heard somebody passing them, understanding why he had stopped talking. She tried to calm herself, but his presence was overwhelming. She could imagine kissing him again, getting lost in his eyes. She told herself to remember the look of disdain on his face, the way he sneered at her. This was soon to be over and she’d never see him again. If she wasn’t so intoxicated by him, she’d be glad about it, but something about him had turned her head.

“We’ll get ice-cream and sit down on the terrace. I will take photos of you. Just in case – keep your cellphone ready to take more pictures without them noticing,” he instructed her, the whole time gently stroking her back. She nodded and giggled as if he had said something naughty, just in case.

Martinsson didn’t let go of her, but kept his arm wrapped around her when they walked to the terrace. A small cart stood right at the edge where a friendly man sold ice-cream.

They carefully choose a table where they could see the group of men that had assembled in one corner, the tables obviously arranged to keep other people away. There was enough space between them to not alert anybody to their presence, but photos would show the men clearly.

Martinsson took a few pictured of her eating ice-cream, making her laugh with his comments. Again, she felt warmth spread through her, but then she noticed the strain in his voice. He looked nervous and kept stealing glances to the men.

“Let me take a picture of you,” she said and rose, taking the camera from him. She bent down as if to kiss his cheek and whispered: “I’ll take a few of you and then you’ll get the camera back. I’ll be standing right in front of them.”

He nodded and leant back, a bright smile on his face. She winked at him and announced loudly: “Yes, make love to the camera! Yes, that’s it, smile that sexy smile!”

He had to laugh and she danced a few steps away when he stood up and made motion to take the camera back.

“There are far too many photos of me already!” she protested when he finally got hold of her.

In a low voice he replied: “There are never too many photos of you, beautiful.”

Lina’s hand on the camera slipped and it was lucky he had already taken it or it would have crashed to the floor. He had spoken too quietly for anybody around to hear, as if it was only for her benefit. It took her a moment to convince herself that he was just trying to keep in character.

She posed in front of the hotel, standing at an angle that let him take pictures of the men without attracting too much attention.

After a while she began to feel exposed.

“I think that’s enough, honey,” she complained playfully and walked towards him. He kept walking backwards, taking photos, his aim now off her.

Later she wasn’t sure if it was her comment that had alerted the men or if they had been suspicious before, but two of them split off from the group and walked over.

“Hey,” one called and Lina turned around to face them. She almost twisted back when she saw Gustavson observing them, but she managed to keep a smile plastered to her face and stand still.

“Oh hey,” she greeted the thug who was advancing.

“Would you take some pictures of us together?” she blurted out. Martinsson had wrapped his arm around her waist and they took a few steps back.

Without paying attention to her, the thug addressed Martinsson: “It’s not allowed to take photos.”

Martinsson laughed nervously. “I’m sure there’s a misunderstanding, I was just taking pictures of my wife.”

“Our boss doesn’t want photos of him being published. Please give me the camera,” the second man growled.

“Hey, no,” Martinsson protested and Lina added: “We’re all about privacy. We don’t even have Facebook!”

The men kept advancing and one simple stretched out his hand, glowering at Martinsson.

“He’ll only delete the pictures that show our boss,” the second man said and haltingly Martinsson handed him the camera.

The men looked at the display, from time to time pressing a button to delete images. After a while, the first men nodded and grunted his satisfaction. Lina realized that a lot of the pictures Martinsson had taken must have been for such a case: pictures of her without any of Gustavson’s people on them to not make them suspicious. The other man grinned, raised the camera and took a photo of Lina and Martinsson, taking them by surprise. None of them managed a smile and Martinsson wordlessly accepted the camera back from the thug. The men walked back to their group and after an exchange Gustavson nodded approvingly and nodded back at them. Lina felt his piercing gaze again, swallowing hard. Martinsson took her hand and they fled to their suite.

 

Immediately after they had arrived, Lina went to the window to see if the men were still outside, but it looked like they had retired. She sighed and turned back to see Martinsson standing in the middle of the room, running his hand through his curly hair.

“For a moment I was really worried there,” he commented. She nodded and a chill went through her. Again she’d had the feeling that Gustavson knew who she was. She remembered the first time she had seen him, from a distance. Her boss had been talking to him outside the building where they had their office. She had been looking through the windows at them, Arne gesticulating, Gustavson cool and relaxed.

The second time she had been closer, sitting at her desk when Gustavson had strode into the office, demanding to see Arne. He had ignored her, but she had been able to look him over. He was a bit of a silver fox, tanned, wearing expensive clothes. His half-smile didn’t reach his eyes. He was attractive, but his cruel eyes made her shiver. When he vanished in Arne’s office she’d half expected shouting, but couldn’t hear anything. When the men left, Arne was pale and obviously shaken. He’d told Lina that he’d take Gustavson to see their warehouse and left. It had been then we she started to get uncomfortable. Men like Gustavson were dangerous and dealings with such men were never good.

She shook off the memory and pulled out her cell phone.

“I snapped a few pictures with my cell phone, but I don’t think they’re all that good.”

He walked over to take a look at the offered phone.

“Better than nothing,” he approved. Scrolling through the pictures he frowned and shook his head.

“We can’t just try this trick again without them getting very suspicious,” he pondered, stroking his chin.

“Maybe we can try some covert shots during dinner?” Lina proposed and he nodded slowly.

“I’ll upload your pictures and get back to my boss.”

He reached for his phone and, feeling dismissed, she went to the bathroom to shower off the cold sweat their encounter on the terrace had left.


	3. Chapter 3

Lina dressed with great care for dinner. For some reason she was certain that this would be their last dinner here, that she’d be able to leave soon. She put on her make-up like she suspected a woman who just got married would do for a dinner with her newly wed husband: just a bit of mascara, some blush, glossy lipstick, looking natural and fresh. She choose a floral dress and flat shoes. With a light cardigan against the nightly chill she was ready to go.

When she entered the sitting room, Martinsson looked up and for a second a smile spread out on his face. As if he had caught himself, it was gone and his usual frown was back. It still was enough to tell her that she looked good and his reaction once again set off butterflies in her belly.

She walked over to the coffee table to check if her cell was fully loaded and slipped it into her purse.

Martinsson had changed into his grey suit pants and a white shirt. It looked like the perfect cross between formal and casual, especially with the sleeves rolled up. She had the urge to run her hands through his curly hair, but didn’t – who knew how he would react? There was no need to complicate things at this point.

He shuffled some papers on the desk, choose some and walked to a painting on the wall. To her surprise it swung back when he pulled and revealed a safe. He put in some of the papers and shut the safe again.

“Just a precaution,” he explained when he saw the question on her face. “The combination is my mother’s birth date.”

She nodded and he gathered his things, looking around the room in the typical “Am I forgetting something?”-way.

“Does anything in here allude to your real identity?” he asked and she shook her head. Her handler had taken care that she’d only take things she was supplied with or that would give no clue about her. He nodded and walked to the door, stopping and turning to her. Wordlessly he offered his hand and she walked over and took it. They left the suit.

 

She felt optimistic and calm, sure that they’d be able to take the photos and be out of there soon.

The weather had turned and the sky was overcast. A fresh breeze made her slip into her cardigan and Martinsson firmly grabbed her hand when it was free again. It made her feel safe and even cared for. His face was calm and he looked relaxed, but she could tell he was tense. She wondered if she was too naïve and he was aware of something she wasn’t.

At the restaurant they were more lucky this time, getting a table that gave them a better position to observe. Lina placed her phone on the table, hoping it wouldn’t seem too strange.

Their target arrived just when their first course was served. Martinsson shot a warning glance at Lina, silently telling her not to be too hasty.

She drew her hand back from her phone and took her fork instead, smiling demurely at him. Gustavsson and his men again walked over to the end of the room, where some tables had been arranged together to seat all of them.

When they were seated, Lina took her phone and placed it on the table, the front camera aimed at her stomach. She slowly turned it until Gustavson showed up on the display. She angled the camera so only he was in the shot and took a picture.

She nodded at Martinsson, who had watched her with barely concealed worry on his face.

“Put it away now,” he whispered and she slipped it into her bra, which made him arch his brow. She shrugged and went back to eat her food.

They ate in silence and Lina was lost in thoughts when she suddenly saw Martinsson going rigid. She looked up and saw him staring at something behind her. She turned and saw Gustavsson walking straight into their direction.

He stopped at their table, a charming smile on his face. Lina had to suppress a shiver, his smile reminded her of a shark and his good looks didn’t distract her from that.

“Good evening, my name is Alexander Gustavsson and I wanted to personally offer my apologies for the way my associates treated you this afternoon,” he greeted them, offering Lina his hand. She rose and shook it, seeing Martinsson rise at the same time. The men shook hands, too and Martinsson smiled at the other man.

“It’s no problem at all. My wife said I took too many pictures of her anyhow,” he joked. Gustavsson smiled this predatory smile and turned to Lina.

“I would take many pictures of her, too, if she was my wife,” he commented and Lina forced herself to smile, batting her eyelashes at him.

“Unfortunately there have been some security issues, making my men be on edge,” the older man continued.

“Oh, I hope nothing serious,” Martinsson replied, trying to shift Gustavsson’s focus back to himself.

“Nothing that we couldn’t handle,” was the answer, which sounded dangerously ominous to Lina.

“That’s good,” Martinsson eagerly supplied, earning a jovial smile form the other man.

“I will leave to your dinner now. Thank you for your understanding,” Gustavsson nodded at them and they smiled back, murmuring their good-byes.

While Lina sat down and didn’t turn, Martinsson watched him go. After a moment he smiled brightly at Lina and whispered:” We’ll finish our meal without a dessert and then we’ll leave. Not too hastily, but swift.”

Lina gulped and nodded her understanding. When the waiter came to ask if they wanted something sweet or a coffee, Lina declined, saying she’d had too much ice-cream that day already.

They got up and Martinsson helped her into her cardigan, whispering “Keep smiling,” into her ear.

He placed his hand on the small of her back and lead her out of the restaurant. Outside, his pace became hurried.

“What happened?” Lina asked breathlessly.

“When Gustavsson was at his table one of his men asked “Cop?” and Gustavsson nodded. I don’t know how much time we have.”

Lina felt like she had been punched in the gut.

“What now?” she hissed.

“We’ll hurry to our suite and get our things, then leave,” he responded.

“We really shouldn’t,” she gulped and stopped dead in her tracks. He looked back and frowned.

“What is it?”

“There’s light on in our suite,” she said tonelessly, looking up at their room.

Martinsson’s head whipped around and he cursed.

“To the car, now,” he commanded and they changed directions, hurrying to the parking lot.

Arriving at the small car Martinsson dug out the keys and they got in quickly. It didn’t seem like anybody had been waiting for them. Martinsson started the car and slowly drove off the hotel’s grounds. Once they left the peninsula behind, he sped up.

“How did they know?” Lina asked after a while of silence.

“I have no idea. Maybe he has access to police records that identify me,” Martinsson replied.

“And you can read lips?”

“A bit, and this one wasn’t hard to read,” he grinned. “We’ll head back, it’s only a two hours drive, can you try to call in?”

Lina dug out her phone and shook her head. They had left the last signs of civilisation behind them and were heading towards a forest.

“No bars, we’re out of the area with reception.”

He cursed again and accelerated.

“We’re being followed,” he calmly commented after a few minutes.

Lina widened her eyes and turned in her seat. In the dark all she could see were two lights from a car in the distance shining through the trees.

“How do you know?” she asked, turning back again.

“They’ve been coming closer for a while and I’m well above the speed limit.”

Lina closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She needed to calm down, panic wouldn’t help now. Martinsson was at the maximum speed the little car could go and still the lights of the car behind them kept coming closer.

“Hold on tight,” he grunted and Lina gripped the seat, pressing herself into it.

They were now surrounded by dense forest. Martinsson was leaning forward, staring into the dark.

“I know this area, I’ve been on a camping trip here,” he explained.

“Now,” he hissed and Lina bit her tongue not to scream as he was hitting the brakes and yanking the wheel to the left.

With a bump the car left the road and Martinsson killed the lights, driving down a path through the dark wood for a few metres.

When the car came to a halt Lina gasped, letting out the air she had been holding.

A moment later the other car passed the road behind them. Martinsson counted under his breath and then turned on the sidelight, driving on slowly.

Lina looked out into the darkness, but couldn’t make out anything.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“There’s a hut a few kilometres up the road,” he murmured. “You have to hike to get there,”

“And you want to hide there? Won’t they find us immediately?” Lina voiced her doubts.

He turned and grinned at her.

“They will search it, but we won’t be there.”

 

Half an hour later, Lina was stumbling behind him through the dark, dense forest. It was cold and scary, with the sounds of the night and the knowledge that there were bad men following them.

Martinsson had laid out his plan: the car had to be parked in quite some distance to the hut and the rest of the way had to be walked. They would follow the path for a few minutes and then leave it, heading into another direction, which should lead them to a village. They’d be walking for a few hours, but he figured that they didn’t know the forest at all and wouldn’t expect him to know it at all.

It was better than anything Lina could come up with and so she followed him.

After tumbling through the undergrowth for a while he found the other path he had been remembering. It led them into the opposite direction, away from the car and hopefully their followers.

Lina was very glad she had decided to wear ballerinas, in heels she’d been dead by now: stumbling, falling and breaking her neck.

Martinsson had given her the jacket he had left in the car, but her bare legs still had her freezing. They didn’t talk, but marched on, concentrating on finding their way in the dark. He had a small bag with a flash-light and some tools that had been stored in the car for emergencies, but he only used the light very sparingly.

She only registered dimly when his pace became slower, thankful for being able to catch some breath. Only when he stopped she looked up, wondering if they had arrived somewhere.

“I don’t want to worry you, but I think we’re in trouble,” he said calmly, waking her from her stupor.

“There’s a lake that wasn’t there when I was here the last time.”

“When was that?” she asked suspiciously.

“Oh, about 15 years ago,” he replied airily.

They walked along the edge of the lake for a while. It wasn’t too big and Lina could make out trees on the other shore, but still it seemed to throw Martinsson off immensely.

It got worse when they heard a car.

“Down,” he hissed and she squatted behind him. The sound of the car was still some distance away, but it was clearly driving slowly. A moment later a bright light swept over their heads and Martinsson cursed under his breath.

They stayed still until the sounds of the car had died down and the light showed them it was far away enough. Martinsson gestured her to follow him and he went back the way they had been going. At the spot where he had discovered the lake, he turned to follow the path that lead along the lake into the opposite direction from where they were coming.

He walked slowly, stopping to listen every now and then.

While he was focused on their path and his ears, Lina looked around to see if she would spot the light again. Then she saw a faint glow in the distance.

“Is it dawn already?” she asked and fished out her cell phone. It was 2 am.

“Nope,” Martinsson said. “Aurora Borealis.”

Lina felt stupid for not realizing it herself. They walked on while the northern lights crept over the sky, shining in eerie green and purple colours through the trees. As they walked on, she could see more of the spectacle in the sky shining over the lake, reflecting in it’s dark mirror.

Distracted she stumbled and fell against Martinsson, who turned to catch her. She was already on the ground when he wrapped his arms around her and she whimpered. He jerked back.

“Did I hurt you?” he inquired, his hand hovering over her back, not sure if he could touch her.

“No, I think I twisted my ankle,” she grumbled, mad at herself.

“How could I be so clumsy and stupid?”

He shushed her and when she looked at him, she saw a smile on his face.

“I dragged you through dense forest in that getup, it had to happen sooner or later,” he assured her.

She made a face and tried to get up.

“Careful,” he warned and wrapped his arms around her, helping her up.

“We need to hide,” he announced, when it became obvious that she couldn’t walk far with her injury.

“Stay here, I need to check something,” he told her and was gone before she could protest.

Standing awkwardly with her weight on one foot, trying not to cry from frustration and pain, Lina clutched a tree and waited. Luckily it didn’t take long until he returned. Without saying anything, he wrapped his arm around her, placing her hand on his shoulder. Slowly, he led her down the path and towards the water.

She wondered if he wanted to walk into the lake, when he brushed away the low hanging branches of a willow tree and revealed a little hut. It was little more than three walls with a roof, open to the water and with a little entrance to the side. She crawled inside and he followed. There was little space and they had to sort out their limbs to find a way to fit in comfortably. In the end she sat between his legs, resting her head against his chest, his arms around her.

“I guess a hobby-angler must have build this, so he could fish in bad weather,” he whispered into her ear and she could feel the words vibrating through his torso.

“I saw it when we where at the shore over there,” he pointed across the lake. “From the path it’s hidden.”

“If you could see it then my dress must be very visible,” she said and he nodded.

“I think I know how to change that.”

He disentangled himself from her and crawled out again. She heard him rustling and then a curtain of willow leaves fell down before the open side of the hut. He came back and again they had to wrangle themselves around. Lina felt a bit like playing twister, just more painful and less fun. Martinsson was very careful, but her ankle hurt whenever she moved.

 

When they settled down, she was in his arms again and leaned against him.

“We only have to hold until the sun comes up, I bet there are a lot of people hiking around here,” he murmured and she nodded.

They fell silent and she watched the Aurora Borealis through the branches.

“It didn’t take much work,” he mentioned. “The branches were drawn back and only had to be nudged into place.” He sounded very pleased with himself and she snorted.

“What is it?” he asked and she shook her head.

“Nothing, but you seem so excited, as if this was a camping trip,” she said in a slightly accusatory tone.

“Well, we’re here, why not enjoy it?” he replied, amusement in his tone.

“As if you could do that,” she blurted out and bit her lip.

“What do you mean?” he inquired and she shook her head again.

“Nothing.”

“No, tell me,” he insisted.

She sighed.

“I just feel like you despise me. How you look at me with your constant frown. It’s even more obvious that it’s not your normal outlook, now that you found something you like to do, you’re suddenly so different,” she rambled and felt how he took a deep breath behind her.

“Lina,” he murmured in her ear and a shiver went through her. His lips were so close that she could feel his warm breath.

“I don’t despise you. I despise the situation we’re in. I didn’t want a civilian in this operation,” he continued.

“But how you talked to me, first during the interrogations and the whole time,” she protested.

“I was suspicious at first and I tried to get you to spill, it wasn’t because I hated you,” he said.

“In fact I’m impressed how you handled yourself. I still don’t think it was a good idea to involve you. I guess I let my frustration about that out on you. And…” he fell silent.

“And what?” she prompted.

“I always come across as grumpy,” he said after a pause.  
“That’s not what you wanted to say,” she stated. He shifted behind her, as if he wanted to get away. She propped herself on one arm and turned to face him, unsteady balancing herself.

“And what?” she insisted and searched his face for an answer.

He was frowning again, squinting like he needed to figure something out.

“I had to keep myself from being unprofessional,” he said huskily and she snorted again.

“What, is smiling unprofessional?” she quipped and he shook his head.

“No, but this is,” he shot back and before she knew what happened, he had buried one hand in her hair and drawn her towards him, kissing her.

She lost her balance and he caught her, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her closer.

Without thinking she kissed him back, opening her mouth for his hot tongue, her arms around his neck. He moaned softly and licked over her lips, deepening the kiss.


	4. Chapter 4

When Lina woke up it was still dark. Martinsson still held her tight and kept her warm, but she felt knackered and stiff.  
“What time is it?” she mumbled, her tongue heavy with sleep.  
“Shh,” he shushed her softly. She fell silent and listened for sounds.  
After a few moments she heard tires on gravel, a car slowly driving past. She held her breath and squeezed her eyes shut, willing them to leave them alone.  
Martinsson was tense and she could hear his heart beating.  
They were hidden, but if Gustavson’s men decided to search the bushes, they were sitting ducks. 

 

Lina turned her head to the lake, watching through the leaves how the shine of the search light spilled over the water. The car stopped.  
Her breath caught in her throat and Martinsson became completely still.  
Steps sounded in some distance and from what Lina could tell, a man walked from the car to the edge of the lake.  
After a few seconds of silence there was the sound of water splashing. Lina had to keep from laughing with relief – the man was pissing into the lake.  
Martinsson reassuringly stroked over her back while they were listening to the criminal emptying his bladder. The splashing stopped and the steps retreated to the car. It drove off and after a few moments they were sure that they were safe again.  
“I thought we were done for,” Lina giggled and Martinsson snorted.  
“We were lucky he didn’t decide to piss against the tree – he might have spotted the hut otherwise.”  
She rolled her eyes in the dark.  
“He didn’t, you doom-sayer,” she scolded him playfully. He pulled her back against his chest and kissed her hair.  
“Get some more sleep. I don’t want to leave until it’s light outside,” he said and she snuggled against him.  
“As you say, sir,” she yawned and he hummed contently.

The next time she woke up the sun was just rising and Martinsson was disentangling himself from her. He looked like he hadn’t slept a wink and she suddenly had a bad conscience.  
“You could have let me take a watch, too,” she old him.  
“Good morning to you, too,” he replied. “You were sleeping so peacefully and I’m used to stake-outs.”  
She smiled at him and he smiled back hesitantly.

They crawled out of the hut and Lina gingerly tested if her ankle would hold heir weight. To their relief, it seemed that the few hours of rest had been enough for her to recover.  
They walked along the lake shore towards where Martinsson remembered the village to be. In the morning light she could see how beautiful the wood was. The lake was artificial, but carefully designed to fit into the forest. From time to time they checked their phones, but still no reception.  
When they had passed the lake a few hundred metres they found a large sign showing them that they were close to the edge of the forest and the road leading to the village.  
With renewed energy they walked on, Martinsson alert and looking for any sign of people – criminal or otherwise.  
The road was deserted and after half an hour of walking, they saw the first houses. Lina nearly started to cry from relief, but she knew it wasn’t over yet.

When they reached the first house, Martinsson went to knock on the door.  
An elderly woman opened it and smiled.  
“Yes? How can I help you?”  
“I’m sorry to bother you so early, ma'am,” he started and the old woman giggled and shook her head.  
“You’re not my first guests today,” she replied and Martinsson straightened up, alarmed.  
“In fact I think you’re the couple the nice police-man who was here an hour before was looking for.”  
Martinsson exchanged a glance with Lina.  
“Well, I’m with the police, too,” he explained. “What did the man say?”  
“Oh, he just said that you were lost in the forest and might come looking for help,” she recounted. “The phones are dead since last night, but I think he said he’d be waiting in the village’s post office.”  
“The phones are dead?” Lina echoed, feeling dread rising.  
“Yes, it was some-when after dark. I wanted to call my grand-daughter and the phone was just dead. I went over to the Almsted’s house and theirs was out, too.”  
Martinsson ran his fingers through his hair.  
“Thank you. We’ll meet up with my colleagues, then,” he smiled unconvincingly and bade the woman good-bye.  
They walked on towards the centre of the village for a few metres and then ducked between two houses. Both looked at their cell phones to find that they still had no signal.  
“What now?” Lina asked. “It’s surely not really the police?”  
He shook his head.  
“I don’t think so. The phones being dead is too big a coincidence.”  
Lina sighed and leaned against the side of the house.  
“Can we hide until the phone-line is repaired?” she asked, without much hope.  
“I don’t know,” he replied and Lina bit her lip hearing his sombre tone. Until now she had relied on him to be the one with the plan, who kept her going, but she could see that the situation was wearing him down.  
“We should look how close we can get to the post office – maybe it’s the real police after all. They must be searching for us, too, right?” she ventured and Martinsson nodded.  
“Let’s try that,” he said, but she could tell he was not really convinced.

It wasn’t hard to guess the way to the centre of the village – a clock tower lead the way. It was a Sunday morning, so the streets were fairly empty, but they could tell that the people were slowly starting their day.  
Martinsson kept glancing around nervously and Lina wondered how they must look in their good but ruffled clothes, sneaking through the streets, checking their surroundings as if they were guilty of something.  
The closer they got to the clock tower, the slower Martinsson walked and Lina saw that they were drawing attention. Faces looked through windows, making her wonder who had Gustavsson’s man visiting and might think they were not a lost couple but criminals.  
“There are their cars,” Martinsson observed when they were just around the corner from the clock tower. Sleek black cars were parked on the street. Two had men leaning against them.  
“What now?” Lina asked, after Martinsson had dragged her back behind the street corner.  
“We know now it’s Gustavsson. That’s at least something. And they probably don’t know we’re here,” he said and paused.  
Lina rubbed her eyes, sighing.  
“We need a plan, we can’t just wait,” she murmured.  
“I know,” he replied, his voice strained.  
“We don’t have any weapons, just that bag with tools, our cell phones…” she trailed off, checking her phone again.  
“There’s a bar,” she exclaimed. Martinsson looked at his phone, too.  
“Yes”, he grunted, starting to dial.  
"Write a message in case the signal is to weak,” he ordered her.

She started typing a message to her handler, while he tried to reach somebody.  
“No chance,” he said and started to type.  
“Hangon, I have an idea,” Lina lit up.  
“Take some photos of the car and the goons,” she told him. “But don’t send them!”  
He looked at her with doubt in his eyes, but tired and clueless as he was he did what she asked.  
When he returned, she told him: “They’re sending somebody, but we’re at least an hour from the next police station.”  
He nodded and she slid down the wall she had been leaning against.  
“I’m so tired,” she complained and Martinsson sighed.  
“Not too long now, Lina,” he promised.  
“Not long at all,” a male voice barked and turning their heads, they saw the two goons who had deleted their photos on the terrace standing behind them.  
Martinsson cursed and moved between Lina and the men.

They were led into the post office, were Gustavsson sat with an elderly man.  
“Oh thank God, you are here Inspector,” Lina sobbed and wrestled free from the grip of her captor. She walked over to Gustavsson who had raised a hand to stop his men from holding her back and rose from his chair.   
“My dear, I’m glad we found you,” he replied smoothly, his eyes searching her face.“Did he hurt you?”  
“He didn’t harm me,” she shook her head.  
“I’m so glad this is resolved,” the elderly man said and Gustavsson nodded at him.  
“I would like to take to the lady and keep the man locked away,” he addressed him. “Can we use your rooms for a while longer?”  
The man agreed and the goons locked Martinsson in a small chamber. With the excuse of confidential police work, they managed to get rid of the man who turned out to be the local postman.  
Gustavsson led Lina to another room and offered her a chair.  
She sat down, watching him calmly.  
“So, young lady, what was that little charade there?” he asked, sitting down opposite her, smiling at her.  
“I’m one of Arne’s girls, Lina. When he was caught they told me I’d hang with him unless I helped them. They put me in that hotel with the cop to rat you out,” she replied.  
“You didn’t look as if he was forcing you,” he mused.  
“Well, I’m an opportunist,” she shrugged. “It served me at that moment, but now I see that I can gain more when I help you.”  
“Do you know,” he chuckled. He regarded her for a moment and then rubbed his chin.  
“So, what do you have for me?”  
“Thanks to the bad signal around here the cop only managed to snap some photos. He wanted to hide until nightfall so you’d think we were somewhere else.”  
He gestured her to continue.  
“Frankly I’m tired of running. All the reward the police will give me is that they won’t jail me – or maybe they will and claim that it’s a reduced sentence.”  
“And you’re figuring my reward will be better?” he asked.  
“I’m not dumb and Arne did put me to good use, I could do the same for you,” she offered.  
“You’re a witness, I could just remove you,” he contered.  
“That would be a waste. You need to get rid of the cop already. Just stage a car accident. I’ll crawl out of the wrack and tell the cops you were not actually there.”  
“You’re a clever one, I like that.”  
She flashed him a proud smile.  
The door opened and one of the goons came in.  
“They only had one cell phone between them,” he informed his boss and placed the phone and Martinsson’s tool bag on the table.  
Gustavsson scrolled through the phone.  
“Interesting pictures,” he mused. “And indeed, only one unsent message. No call history. It looks like you are right.”  
She leaned forward.  
“I can be of much more service,” Lina purred and grinned.  
Gustavsson hummed appreciatively and the goon chuckled.  
“I think I like your plan, Lina. We collected the cops car from where he left it. There is a nice spot a few kilometres from here,” he decided and grinned like a shark.  
“May I use the bathroom before we go?” Lina asked and Gustavsson nodded.  
“But I have to take a certain degree of caution. I’m sure you understand.”  
She nodded and rose. He stepped behind her and started frisking her, running his hands over her curves slowly.  
She squealed a bit and smiled suggestive at the goon, who was watching with interest.  
“She’s clean,” Gustavsson decreed after a while and slapped her rear.  
“Show her to the restroom, please.”

Martinsson’s car was parked behind the post office, where no villagers could see it. When Lina left the building on Gustavson’s arm, Martinsson was already standing beside it, flanked by two men who had a tight grip on him. He had a black eye and his lip was bruised.  
“Oh, did he put up a fight?” Lina asked airily.  
He looked at her, unbelieving.  
“I think he thought we were hurting you,” Gustavsson commented and she sneered.  
“Such a white knight.”  
“Lina,” Martinsson whispered and she frowned.  
“You’re not going to have to bare his presence much longer,” the criminal beside her promised.  
“Thank God,” she replied and Martinsson’s face fell, the realization of her deception shining in his eyes.  
“Off we go then. Put him in the car,” he ordered.  
The goons roughly shoved Martinsson into the back of his car, while Lina stepped away from Gustavson to move around the car.  
“Do you have the cell phone?” she asked the older man. “We don’t want proof lying around, do we?”  
Something between a sob and a growl came from the captured police man and Gustavsson chuckled.  
“I think we have it, Alex?” he turned to one of his men. Alex looked startled and padded his jacket.  
“One moment,” he muttered and went back inside, only to return after a while.  
“It was on the floor near the table,” he reported, relief in his voice.  
His boss flashed a smile at Lina, who nodded gracefully.  
Just when she put her hand on the car’s door handle, a police siren whooped. She crutched down.  
“The hell?” Gustavson cursed and she heard him move into her direction.  
“Hold it right there,” a voice came from the gateway. A group of five police men, their weapons raised stood there.  
“You’re surrounded. Step away from the vehicle and raise your hands.”  
The goons reached for their jackets, but Gustavson ordered them to stop. He raised his hands and stepped back from the car. Two police men came forward, leading the goons to the wall, lining them up. Another helped Martinsson out of the car and Lina could see other come through the back doors of the post office.

Lina sat on the stairs leading to the clock tower. Somebody had placed a blanket around her shoulders and put a cup of coffee into her hand.  
She sipped it slowly, looking at her feet and tried to stay awake. She was bone-weary and just wanted to go home.  
A shadow fell over her and when she looked up, she saw Martinsson stand in front of her.  
“Hey,” he said.  
“Hey,” she echoed.  
He crouched beside her, a slight smile on his lips.  
“We can leave now,” he informed her.  
“Oh thank God,” she groaned and he grinned.  
He cocked his head and rose, extending his hand to help her up.  
She let herself be dragged up and when she stood, he wrapped his arm around her waist.  
She looked up to his face, surprised..  
“Why the sad face?” he asked. “Did you think I bought your act?”  
She shrugged and a smile tugged at the corner of her lips.  
“You’re not that good an actress,” he joked.  
“Well, I tricked Gustavson and stalled him for quite a while.”  
“So the cell phone was your plan?” he asked, impressed.  
“I managed to hide it under the table and waited as long as I could to tell him, knowing he’d not leave without it.”  
“You’re amazing.”  
She blushed and looked down, hiding her smile. He put a finger under her chin and raised her head back up. She winced when she saw his black eye, but he smiled and kissed her.  
“They have the car ready. If you want to, you can sleep on my shoulder,” he offered.  
“I would like that,” she replied, starting to smile.  
“Me, too.”


End file.
